Letter: Casinos are terrible for working people

Listen to the argument that Jim Casey, former commissioner of labor, uses to advance his interest in bringing big gambling to New Hampshire: Folks who oppose casino gambling in New Hampshire are the same rich, arrogant elitists who want to saddle you with an income tax.

Fact is, casino gambling has and always will take hard-earned dollars from working people and send most of that money to wealthy casino owners, leaving a little bit for the state and town.

There are no advantages to New Hampshire from big casinos – they encourage crime and addiction, cannibalize local business and would forever cheapen New Hampshire’s image as a good place for families to come and live.

Casey is incorrect when he says that New Hampshire has a growing unemployment problem and is “desperate” for a casino. With good planning, New Hampshire has consistently maintained one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation by encouraging good businesses and jobs.

Our state doesn’t need the kind of minimum wage service industry jobs that a casino offers.

Millennium Gaming is a wealthy company and can buy influence in a small state like ours. Don’t let it persuade our elected representatives to build its big casino, take our paychecks and leave New Hampshire a poorer place.

New Hampshire should be too smart to buy its come-on. Tell them we’re not interested and send Millennium back to Las Vegas where they belong.

McDonald's jobs and Casino jobs are the best jobs liberals will find in the doldrums of this Obama Economy....m ore people have lost jobs that have found jobs under Obama - ....the lowest workforce participation rate in over 30 years .....way to go democrats

GCarson wrote:

05/12/2013

Just why would anyone want to come to a repackaged Rockingham Park?? Who would really come, the people with gambling problems that could afford to drive to Mohegan Sun. The only boon to business would be pawn shops. Besides the people least able to afford gambling, who would be stealing business from local restaurants. Nothing personal against Salem but, this part, The Rock, is to be polite a dump. A spralling assortment of strip malls, vacant buildings and an assortment of dumps that are there to capture cross border cigarette sales. However at the mere mention of any state income imagined or exagerated and common sense runs for the exits. 10 years ago itbmay have made more sense - but being the last ones to the ball - is not a reassuring position to fight for.